Chiefs-Steelers: 6 winners, 2 losers from Week 17 win

Unlike a year ago, there was no Christmas Day disappointment for this version of the Kansas City Chiefs. On Wednesday afternoon, they earned a 29-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving them a 15-1 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC postseason.

Even without their best player – Chris Jones, who missed the game with a calf injury – Kansas City’s defense came through, forcing two turnovers and hitting Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson throughout the afternoon. The offense got off to a great start and didn’t let up, punishing the Steelers through the air.

The Chiefs won key matchups en route to their most comfortable win of the season. Now they will celebrate and rest – just like the rest of us over the holidays!

Here are a few Kansas City players who stood out with a very cheerful performance Chiefsmas Day.

winner

Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Tight end Travis Kelce: It may not be as fast as it used to be, but it still opens at a remarkable rate. The superstar tight end caught eight of 11 targets for 84 yards and showed a little bit of everything we’ve come to expect from him. He converted tough third-down catches, gained yards after the catch and found a way to get deep into the end zone. It was a fantastic Christmas for Kelce, who became the most prolific touchdown scorer in Kansas City Chiefs history, recorded his 1,000th career reception and played a big part in earning the No. 1 pick again.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes: He started well, with touchdowns in the first quarter to Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson. If MVP voters don’t have the best player in the league on their ballot, they should be reminded to pay attention to what Mahomes does when it counts: 300 yards, three touchdowns, no picks and no sacks. It was a very Clean day for Mahomes. Now he gets a few well-deserved weeks off.

Wide receiver Xavier Worthy: What else do we need to see from #1? He’s running great routes, scoring touchdowns (his ninth of the season on Wednesday) and continuing to earn Mahomes’ trust. Against Pittsburgh, Worthy had 10 touches for 89 yards and a score. He’s emerging as Kansas City’s best wideout, complemented (but not eclipsed) by Hollywood Brown and DeAndre Hopkins.

Wide receiver Justin Watson: He’s sunk a bit on the depth chart, but Watson made two big plays on one drive. The first was his 49-yard catch – the longest play by either team in the game. A few moments later, he caught a beautiful Mahomes pass in the end zone. Justin Watson could be it Only a role player – but his role affairs.

The Chiefs defensive line: What a performance from defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s front line – without Chris Jones. Mike Danna – fresh off the Week 16 loser’s list – led all defenders with two sacks, three tackles-for-loss and two quarterback hits. Felix Anudike-Uzomah managed to score a sack with a solid bend around Wilson’s blind side. George Karlaftis threw a pass, got a sack and a few more quarterback hits of his own. Tershawn Wharton knocked Wilson down once and punched him a few times. The Steelers had more success with the ball than we’re used to, but credit goes to all those guys who made life difficult for them – and kept it that way another Playoff team to just 10 points.

Punter Matt Araiza: On a good day for the offense, you wouldn’t think we would recognize the punter. But Araiza did it on Christmas. While his longest kick bounced into the end zone at 72 yards, he had two others that he easily deflected inside 20 yards. On Wednesday, he posted a net average of 53.8 yards.

loser

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Returnee Nikko Remigio: I hate to call Remigio a loser after his impressive returns (including 25 yards on the game’s first punt) helped lay the foundation for the Chiefs’ offense. But Remigio owes his Christmas bonus to Deon Bush, who plunged deep into Steelers territory.

Kicker Harrison Butker: Butker missed an extra point (albeit one that took longer due to a penalty) after missing a short kick in Week 16. He’s probably still shedding some rust, but it’s still something to keep an eye on as Kansas City heads into the postseason. The team probably won’t be able to afford to miss very many shots.

Note: The use of the terms “winner” and “loser” is not intended to constitute an assessment of the talent or character of any of these players. It’s just an easy way to evaluate their performance in a single game. No disrespect is intended.